linebusy

We have a victory against the Vikings.  I wanted to get mad at various times throughout the game, and probably did against the offense a couple times.  Defensively, though, we made things happen with a very thin roster.
Our defense’s inactive list (for various reasons):
Suh
Fairley
Jackson
Houston
Delmas
Wounded and/or limited availability:
Durant
Wright
Berry
That’s quite a significant list. The stack of injuries we’ve had this year made way for the following players, none of whom have been on the roster for more than a few weeks:
Harris
Carey
Jovan Haye
Keyunta Dawson
Ricardo Silva
Yes, some of them have had practice squad time, but still. There’s a very significant drop-off even from Delmas to Harris, let alone Suh to Haye. Personal ability aside, these guys haven’t had any time to work together.

Smith and Avril were studs. I’d begun to worry about Smith’s spot on the roster, but the McDonald cutting was a clue that Smith still had the team’s confidence, at least to some degree. Boy, did he reward the team for their patience. His plays were the difference in the game.

The good things the defense did early proved to be their most valuable contributions, as we had absolutely no defense for Gerhart or Webb as the game wore on. We went into an ultra-prevent defense with LB’s dropping into coverage and Avril standing up in the middle of the field “spying” Webb. We had to. When he broke contain early in the 3rd,  we had nobody there to stop him.  Throughout the game, Gerhart gashed us AT WILL between the tackles. That brings me to the final play:

Much will be made of the Levy facemask, which really had no bearing on the play, as the ball was already out. 100 times out of 100 that would be called against the Lions, but the refs let the guys duke it out on the final play. Watching the NFL Network, it seems the refs did that all across the league yesterday. They let the guys decide the game on the last play, rather than cause anything drastic with a whistle or flag. You’d hate to lose a game on a play like that, but at the same time, there’s a whole host of potential flags going on out there. There’s a line there that we all draw, none of us having the same spot in the sand. Considering the brutality that we suffered all season from the refs, I’ll take that last play without a shred of embarrassment.

The embarrassment rests solely on the play-caller. I’m sure they practiced that play all week. I’m sure they wanted their athletic QB to role out of the pocket and cause trouble for the defense. It worked to a great extent for 1/2 the game. BUT, you had a high-percentage play staring you in the face that the Lions had NO defense for. God love Hill, Fluellen and Williams, but they were spent. When they had the ball on the 1 yard line, everyone in the stadium knew the game was over, including, I’m sure, Cunningham and Schwartz. There’s nothing we could do at the point of attack. We were shorthanded and gassed. The game was in the bag for the Vikes. It was over, save for a play up the middle that has the same level of difficulty as a PAT. John Madden talked about Brandon Jacobs glowingly during his last couple years in the booth. “When he lines up there in short yardage, everybody in the stadium knows he’s getting the ball, but the defense still can’t stop it.” That’s what the Vikes have in Gerhart. That last play didn’t need to be over-thought or over-played, yet it was. Yes, it was the most predictable play in the world, but that’s because it was so clearly the highest percentage. The Vikes gave us that game over and over and over, especially on the last play. Millions have criticized Richard Childress over the years, but I’m 100% confident he makes the prudent call there and wins the game.

The Pick:
It was a gamble when we took Jahvid in the first.  Lot’s of keyboard GM’s ripped the team when it happened.  Turns out they were right.  It doesn’t seem like they were, but still, Jahvid’s career seems to be coming to an end.  I’m glad we took him, though.  I’m glad that he is a Lion.  Did it cost us a lot?  Sure it did, but Mayhew will just have to work extra hard to overcome it.

The Finality:
The internet and media are both full of people who speak loudly and in extremes, just to be heard. I’m not commenting on Jahvid in that manner, though. I look at (and have all season) one major thing. How was he injured? This isn’t like Stafford getting slammed to the turf by Peppers or whoever that was in Cleveland. Jahvid’s initial concussion ~was~ almost “freak” in the way he went up in the air and landed. What we’ve seen since, though, are concussions caused by normal football plays. That’s been the understated reality about him this year. He wasn’t knocked out of games by freak plays, he was knocked out of games by the kind of plays that occur, literally, on every snap.

Zack Follett has hit the ground running since injury has brought his career to an end. I pray that Best will, too. Life’s too important to lose it over a game. Yes, you’ve tried with all you’re worth to be a good athlete. Yes, it’s going to hurt when all you’ve worked for is met by one big, closed door. But, there’s life after football. There’s family, friends, and even fans that look forward to seeing Best’s smile as he starts a new chapter; one without contact.

Week 12 is in the books and once again we’ve petered out against a playoff team.  On one hand, you feel the opportunity to get in the playoffs is slipping away, on the other you wonder if we should have though we belonged there to begin with.

Everyone is jumping on Suh for the ejection and imminent suspension.  The Fox guys compared his stomp to Haynesworth’s.  (Never mind that  big Al stomped on a guys helmet-less head.)  Suh is a bit defiant in post-game interviews, showing that he feels somewhat justified, most likely due to the way he is played and how the lineman was pulling him down.  (Watch the replay, you’ll see the lineman was pulling Suh down…  notice how much his midsection falls once Suh has separated himself.)

Speaking of Haynesworth, this Suh incident brings to mind something that I’ve thought about occasionally since the Hayneworth incident; Composure.  “A calm or tranquil state of mind; self-possession.”  Some of us have a hard time maintaining composure during good times, let alone tough times.   The tougher the circumstance, the tougher it is to keep your composure.  I’ve noticed that heavy physical labor constrained by time can raise my intensity quite a bit.  I can’t imagine how I’d behave if there was an opponent defeating my efforts at every turn.  These kids must be in competitive sports pretty early to get used to “self-possession” in the face of stiff competition.  As a regular Joe, if I were in Suh’s (or any NFL player’s) shoes, I might feel provoked to do the the same time thing… on every snap.

Is respect at the root of it?  Does Suh, as one Fox analyst said, not respect the game or his opponent?  I believe it is, but here’s why:  Suh came into the league as the consummate professional.  His “brand” was already under way and he’s playing every angle he can to maximize his short NFL career.  As the draft approached, he appeared “driven” and to this day he has only reinforced how determined he is to make a name for himself.  Couple those personal aspirations with his talent, physique and clearly competitive nature and you see one of the best players in the NFL.  Further fanning the flame is the very system that he’s playing in.  Schwartz’s 4-3 pressure defense feeds on the aggression of athlete.  It’s not a system that asks the players to subdue their instinct to attack, rather it encourages it.  All these things lend to Suh being in a very good place for himself, his coach and his team.  So, where does the respect play into it?

Suh is a very smart individual, who’s clearly in a good spot for his brand.  He has placed smart individuals around him who he trusts.  He is running an enterprise that could lead to a long, prosperous opportunity for himself, family and countless others.  He recognizes many of the efforts required behind the scenes to produce a “package” or the “brand”.  He knows time is of the essence and how important it is to manage the variables within his control.  Here’s where respect comes into play.  He expects the chief “brand manager” to do the same.  Roger Goodell presides over a multi-billion dollar industry that Suh is contributing to.  Suh knows how much attention he has to pay to detail, how much he has to spend on quality support and how Goodell has to do the same.   If Suh’s respect is waning for the NFL,  it’s not for the game or his opponent, it’s in that league, with all it’s money, success and resources, can’t officiate a game consistently from one week to the next.  Suh’s fines and the inability of the league to establish acceptable play, all while profiting from guys like Suh, is what’s leading to his lack of respect for the league.  His attitude isn’t one of “what should I do then” it’s “get your act together”.  Week in and week out the announcers audibly scratch their heads.  Week in and week out the league has made a name for itself off of aggression.  There’s no sport like this in the world.  As an immense competitor and driven businessman, Suh has an extreme sense of urgency to establish rules and see everyone play by them.  For his some-odd million dollars, he’s doing his part.  For the leagues some-odd Billion dollars, they’re not.  This breeds disrespect.  When Suh went to the league, he was taking himself out of the “principle  office” manner that it normally is, and addressed the issues CEO to CEO with Goodell.  He obviously didn’t get the results he expected and the league is no more capable of calling a fair game.

Ultimately, Suh will have to recognize the fallibility of all the other “professionals” around him; either opponent, ref or employer.   He’s at a tough spot that each and every one of us find ourselves in.  How do you exist with a coworker, employer or business associate that fails to meet expectations?  I don’t have any words of wisdom, I struggle with it every day.  Fortunately, I’ve not taken it out on anyone the way Suh has, but at the same time, I don’t have 650 pounds of opponents grabbing my face or cracking my knees every time I try to do my job.

Mike Florio has taken repeated shots at Tebow over the years.  Tim uses the word “blessed” quite a bit.  It’s his way of acknowledging his creator, provider and redeemer.   Mike always interpreted it as though Tim were stating his position was better than others or his appreciation was better than others.  I’ve never understood why Florio was so defensive in that way.

Last night’s postgame interview had Tebow proclaiming his faith again and declaring his blessed-ness.  I was thinking of a Bible verse, one of my favorites, as he spoke.
Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

What I’m sure about Tim is this; if he were relegated to 3rd string quarterback and still had a chance to be heard, he’d still be blessed.  If he were cut at seasons end, he’ll look upon the challenges he faced and the opportunities ahead and still proclaim how blessed he is.
II Timothy 1:12
Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day.

The Lions are at an interesting point as a team.

Our offense is stock full of talent, each fitting the “style” or “type” player that Schwartz is presumably looking for. Yet, they still seem to be more a collection of moving parts than a synchronized unit. I hope the offense isn’t ashamed to run a dink-and-dunk offense. Without a legit power run game, that is essentially our “bread and butter”. It’s what sets up the other things our talented group can provide.

Our defense, on the other hand, seems to really work well together. We have serious talent at certain spots and legit players at others. Overall, you’d probably have to give the offense the nod as to who has the most pure talent. Wherever they are in that regard doesn’t matter, they simply seem to be fitting together better. They have an identity, for sure, which is established by Suh and his line, along with Delmas and his backfield. The linebackers are a lunch-bucket group that continues to show up.

My concern is with the focus that they all have (offense and defense). Marinelli, in his exit interview after 2008, was asked what might have happened with his 2007 6-2 club. He responded in what seemed a very genuine manner, as though he had been burdened with the same question. His answer, like Marinelli did so many times, was to look at what HE did that might have been responsible. “I hope this wasn’t it, but” he explained “I mentioned home-field advantage and might have allowed our focus to change”. “I hope that wasn’t it.” I can’t say my quotes there are 100% accurate, but they’re close. (I can’t find the video any longer.) The point he was making… the fear that he had… was that he allowed, even encouraged the team to lose focus from the daily prep and allow themselves to thing longer term than they should.

In addition to that focus conversation, I’ve also been puzzled by the Lions seeming desire to talk in the media… to be part of the national conversation. Schwartz has been quick to trade barbs with players on the field and in the media. The players really seemed to take our 5-0 start very personal, especially with the big Monday night victory. They were energized by the buzz in Detroit and things were going their way; while now they seem flat, especially on offense.

See, I think we’re in a transition. On one hand, the team needs to maintain focus on the day-to-day principles that add up to a successful season, but they also need to learn how to handle success. 5 wins won’t fill a championship team with bluster, but it sure did our “lowly Lions”. Part of me wants to blame Schwartz for encouraging an unfocused attitude, while another part says these guys need to learn how to handle winning. I have to imagine it’s hard to accomplish what they had, especially with all the media attention, without feeling a great deal of pride, considering where they had come from. Still, I can’t help feeling uneasy with conversation focused on anything other than what they can control this week.

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We have to learn who we are as a team. In doing so, though, we can’t let who we are interfere with what we do. We need identity and focus; confidence and desperate determination.

The devil is in the details.
An examination of Schwartz’s defensive scheme and it’s impact on the front 4.

Common traits & core philosophy
Schwartz describes the LB’s as being of the “downhill” type. I think it’s safe to categorize the whole defense that way. Schwartz has also defined their defense as “coming in waves, sort of like punt coverage”. The key is that each player has their responsibility in front of them, where they are in constant attack mode. Their ears are pinned and they’re headed full-speed toward their target.

Defensive End: reasoning behind the wide 9
Role
#1 Set the edge / Contain
#2 Rush the QB
The roles are in order of importance (opposite what you might expect from a 4-3 DE). Their responsibility for the outside boundary is absolutely crucial to our scheme. They form the top edge of our “funnel”, allowing our “downhill” style LB’s to keep the play in front of them. Other 4-3 schemes, as with our very own T2 version a few years ago, assign this responsibility to the LB’s. That’s where the “sideline to sideline” speed of our LB’s were so crucial before, and why they were faster than they were big. Our DE pick a spot on the field where the QB is likely going to be and blaze to that spot as quick as they can. In lining up wide, and playing the pass first, they essentially cut off the outside running lane on their way to the QB. (“Stopping the run on the way to the QB”, as they’ve defined it.)  They’re also putting massive pressure on the OT to quickly get to his defensive position,

Type
Our DE’s body type doesn’t quite mesh with what we might think a typical DE should be. They should be quicker than they are big. One thing that troubles OT’s more than anything is speed. Yes, there are unique players with unique abilities that trump even the fastest DE, but as a “type” player that can continually be added to our system, our DE’s need to be fast.  Another characteristic is long arms.  Really, long arms is important for all linemen, just for establishing leverage and keeping the opponent off of them.  What we continue to see is how effective KVB, Avril, Jackson and now Young  are in beating the OT and getting a hand on the ball.  That’s 1 failed 1st rounder, a 2nd, a 3rd and a 7th.  As integral as the DE spot is, their success isn’t  contingent upon unique ability, rather a specific “type” that can be repeated.

Defensive Tackle: Over-Under, take your shot
Role
#1 Destroy the pocket
#2 Sack the QB
#3 Stop the run
This is our biggest departure from any norm in the NFL… There’s a lot to take in here, as it’s not just play, but also where we start to see the “moneyball” part of Jim Schwartz show up. There is an emphasis on taking away the space where the QB would be allowed to set his feet and pass. Schwartz knows pressure is coming from the outside… he knows his linebackers are in position to see the play develop in front of them while pursuing the ball… he has DB’s that are adequate against both the pass and the run. In essence, he has insurance all over the field which allows his 2 DT’s to take the feet out from under the QB.

A lot of focus has been placed on the running lanes that have been opened up in recent games. My guess is that, privately, Jim Schwartz is saying “what took them so long?”. While it’s been referred to as “bend, don’t break”, I think there’s a lot more to what’s going on here. In some systems, the bulk of the field (outside the red zone) is opened up simply due to space. As the players are confined, so then the defense has less field to cover. That’s “bend-don’t-break”. The offense has time and space to take their shots while the defense hopes they make a mistake, finally being able to rely on the boundaries of the red zone to provide some relief after the offense has marched down. Tampa 2 relied on that and it worked. We are not in that type scheme, instead we are the aggressors on defense. Instead of laying back, keeping the plays in front of us and playing a sort of zone or “prevent”, we’re keeping things in front of us only in the sense that we can see what we’re going to hit. We’re not giving up yards to an opponent that has the time and space to pick us apart, we’re giving up yards because we’re taking shots of our own. We’re using the 80 yards outside of our red zone to attack… to try to generate turn-overs, to take the QB completely out of his comfort zone. We’re not bending down the field, we’re gambling down the field. Right now, after 8 games, Detroit is #3 in take-aways. We’re actually #1 in net take-aways, which highlights Schwartz’s emphasis on “taking care of the ball”. The Schwartz defense is specifically targeting the QB with the expectation of generating turnovers, knowing that he who wins the turnover game is most likely to win the game. Another stat that clues us into our defense’s abilities is the opponents 3rd down percentage, which is only 29% (best in the NFL). When it’s time to take off the track shoes and put on the cleats, our defense stands among the best in the NFL against the run. The biggest difference from snap to snap is what our DT’s are told to do. The rest of the defense has it’s formations as well, but the two in the middle have the largest impact.

A note on 4-3 formations:
Within a 4-3, you can have either an “Over” front or and “Under” front. The difference is where the 2 DT’s are aligned. We’ll actually line up as both.
Our “Over” front has Suh lined up as a 3-tech over the RG, while Williams tries to shoot between the Center and LG in the 1-tech spot.
Our “Under” front usually involves Sammie Lee Hill at the 3-tech, who is now lined up over the LG while Suh, Fairley or Fluellen take 1-tech duty, drawing the double-team between the Center and RG. This formation puts Hill in the exact same spot that Haynesworth and Sapp made all their money.
Why the change? Can’t say for sure, other than I believe we’re simply trying to put each player in the best spot to make a play. Why is Fairley lining up as a 1-tech in a 4-3 under front almost exclusively? Why has Hill moved over to the 3-tech spot where he’s almost guaranteed one-on-one against the LG? Why isn’t Suh ever lined up in the spot where Sapp and Haynesworth made names for themselves? I believe the answer is simply an attempt to wear the offensive line down. We’re constantly attacking with a fresh rotation at at every gap along the line.

Type
Our DT’s are easy to define. Big, Strong, Quick-off-the-snap and Mean. Hill and Fluellen might not stand out as particularly cross, but when they put Suh, Fairley or Williams out there, they provide just enough nastiness to give the whole team an edge.

Summary
More than 3-4 or 4-3, our scheme is philosophy rather than alignment. It’s a scheme to take control of our own destiny, rather than slow an offense down.
I used to be preoccupied with the exact formation as an indicator of what type of players we might look to add to the roster. When Schwartz said we’d have a 4-3, I wondered what type. When he said his linebackers would be thumpers that play “downhill”, it still didn’t paint a clear picture. If I had to use a simple term (getting my Gruden on) for our defense, it’d be “4-3 Pressure”. The whole thing is predicated on getting to the QB and creating turnovers. We’re not simply taking on the personality of an old, salty cuss like Cunningham, we’re strategically trying to win the game on the defensive side of the ball by taking away the QB’s footing and creating turnovers. From the inside out and the outside in; taking calculated risks and aggressively disrupting the opponent.

Well, adversity has hit the team and it’s fan-base.  After back-to-back losses, the masses are restless.  From casual fan, to avid fan… from blogger to seasoned beat-writer, the coach in everyone has come out.  We used to have a GM here that assured, certainly after multiple seasons of losing, all onlookers that they had a better football sense than anyone in Allen Park.  I guess it doesn’t take more than a couple of losses for everyone to pull out the whistles and don the visor.

Fans:  They’re kinda helter-skelter.  But, since the production of the team is too, I can’t really blame anyone for their reactions.  Do you want to hear the crowd cheer at deafening levels all the time?  Sure you do.   It takes more than defense to sustain that, though.  Schwartz said in the locker room a few weeks back after a victory “just wait until we start playing good”.  Well, I think the angst of the fans can be tied to their waiting.  The back-and-forth the fans had with the team during the Monday Night game only exacerbates things.  We’d seen a glimpse of what they can do; running, passing, defensive stops and crowd interaction.  A utopia for Lions fans; prime-time game, hated divisional rival and a legitimate 12th man.  “To whom much is given, much is expected”.  Building a team full of talent is a double-edged sword.  With each playmaker comes added expectation.  The more the fans are sold on the ability of the staff and players, the more they’ll expect them to produce.

Media:  There’s a few angles played in the media.  For some reason, prognostication has become a major element.  Each week, even when we were winning, it seems every outlet feels compelled to declare what we’re going to see from whom before the game is played.  Then, once the game is in the books, they declare the failures of not only the player, but then the players inability to meet the printed expectation.  Huh?  It’s not enough to observe the challenges faced by the player in that weeks effort, it’s now necessary to draw comparisons to failed players from the regime where everyone with a keyboard and ability to type was smarter than the GM.  Now that we’ve had a couple of losses, we see a ton of “should’s”, “must’s” and “need to’s”.  Oh, and the coaches shouldn’t feel left out, they’re receiving nearly an equal amount of criticism and second-guessing.  The only reprieve these guys will get this week is while the fans turn their attention to each other, determining who should boo and whether they can still be called a fan if they do.

With all the losing we’ve done in recent years, I’d say there are 5 reactions the winning opponent could have.

Laughable
The Titans on Thanksgiving Day come to mind. I already didn’t like their Fullback and am kinda glad he’s disappeared into his post-NFL life, but he’s the one who laughed the loudest. The cameras caught him after one of his big runs, where he really didn’t meet much resistance, laughing as loud as he could at our players on the sideline and the cameras. There’s been a few games like this over the years, but that one stands out.

Expected
This is where good teams like the Packers know we’re on the schedule, know they’re we’re not good enough to threaten them and have every expectation that a moderately well-executed gameplan will result in certain victory. These teams usually had their expectations met in the 1st half and would sort of cruise through the 2nd, where we would put up most of our “garbage time” points and yards.

Springboard
This is the one that bothers me most. Usually in the 1st half of year, but certainly not exclusive to that, a team would come in really needing to get something going. Whether it’s Matt Ryan’s first game in the NFL or one of the many instances where a struggling team was able to get their offense rolling, it seems that our loss was just what they needed to turn things around or get things going for their season.

Average
With the parity in the NFL, there should be no expectation that a win is guaranteed. When an opponent comes to town, plays their heart out and had their hands full for the full 60, they’re happy to have a win. On any given Sunday they could have been on the other side of the win column. The celebrations are for a victorious effort, focused clearly on themselves. The opponent’s reaction might be “We won!” with high-fives all around

Proud
This is foreign to most fans in Detroit. This is what being the “doormat” to the NFL has done to us. All the hype, all the stars, all the wins… We’re so wrapped up in how good our team is, we forget that the opponent has an opinion. They know the records, hear the hype and see the tape. They know when they get here they’re going to face a formidable opponent. They’re facing a team that’s doing things well and has horses all over the field. They have to gameplan against us knowing that when we play, we can beat anyone. When the game’s over and they’re on top, they are absolutely elated. This is weird for us, but we’re going to have to get used to it. We’ve gotten used to our losses not really meaning that much to the opponent. We’ve somehow managed to miss the “Average” stage of losing, where we went from apathetic opponents to excited ones. That Harbaugh thing this past week was quite revealing. Nobody “expects” to beat us, they simply play their game with the ambition of winning. When they pull it off, they’re as excited in victory as they can be. We need to get used to this. Not the losing part, but the part where the opponent, when they do win, are excited to be victorious for having beaten a formidable opponent. Unlike “average” the focus isn’t just on themselves for having won, but there’s a sense of accomplishment for WHO they beat. That’s weird just typing it.

Michael Irvin breaks down the Jim-Jim handshake debacle as well as anyone possibly could have. My initial reaction to our coach going haywire was that his reaction would overshadow the offense. Michael does a wonderful job putting it all in proper perspective.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/09000d5d8232f3fe/Did-Harbaugh-cross-the-line